“Bloomberg is walking this very fine line,” said
Syracuse University professor Jenny Stromer-
Galley, who researches online campaigns. She
said his overall online approach could mislead
voters who fail to grasp the satire or who don’t
know that influencers supporting him may have
been paid to do so.
It remains to be seen if Bloomberg’s approach
will translate into votes. He won’t appear
on a ballot until 14 states hold primaries
next Tuesday.
But whoever wins the Democratic nomination
will have to contend with Trump, who regularly
retweets memes, videos and photos from his
online army of supporters -- even when the
tweets are misleading or offensive.
“What’s made Trump’s digital program so
formidable isn’t just how much he spent on ads
— it’s how he spent those funds,” McGowan said.
“His campaign has been learning who his base is,
what issues mobilize them, and has been able to
use those insights to figure out who will respond.”